Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso has claimed that the current direction for X-Men leader Cyclops has been planned out for a long time.

The final issue of X-Men: Schism saw Cyclops and Wolverine have a major fall-out over Cyclops's recent decision-making, a disagreement which will cause the X-Men to split into two separate camps next month.

While X-Men: Schism #4 suggested that much of the two characters' fall-out stems from both of their feelings about deceased X-Men original Jean Grey, Alonso has insisted that the bad blood goes much further.

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"The conflict between Cyclops and Wolverine is a philosophical one, but when two fellas get to the point of throwing punches, personal s**t tends to emerge - in the case of Scott and Logan, the dark undercurrents of a long and complicated relationship," Alonso explained to Comic Book Resources. "Loghan and Scott aren't fighting over Jean, of course, they're fighting over the future of the X-Men."

Since the 2007 X-Men crossover Messiah Complex, readers have seen Cyclops become the undisputed leader of the X-Men and being forced to make some dark decisions as a result.

"When we sat down and plotted out Messiah Complex several years ago, we knew we were about to send Cyclops down a long, dark road that would start when he took the reins as the unquestioned leader of the X-Men," Alonso added. "We knew that the tough decision he'd be forced to make would take a toll on him."